Thumb grip for firearms



June 12, 1934. JONES THUMB GRIP FOR FIREARMS Filed Feb. 20, 1.933

iiiiill O ATTORNEY.

Patented June 12, 1934 PATENT OFFICE THUMB GRIP FOR FIREARMS ElliottJones, Deer Park, Greenwich, Conn.

Application February 20, 1933, Serial No. 657,533

1 Claim.

My present invention relates to an improvement in firearms or the likeand is specifically concerned with the provision of means appliedthereto for assisting the user in securing a more 5 steady aim thereof.

In weapons usually held in one hand when aimed and discharged, of whichpistols and revolvers are typical, it is recognized that in aiming themuzzle has a tendency to drop as well as swing from side to side. Toavoid this tendency it usually becomes necessary to grip the stock orhandle so tightly that such effort in itself may cause an unsteady hand.

The principal object of the invention, therefore,

is to overcome the above difficulty.

To this end the invention contemplates the provision of a thumb grip onthe thumb side of the handle, of such size and shape and in such alocation that it may be readily grasped or :0 gripped by the thumb ofthe user with minimum effort and yet without interference with the othernecessary operation of the arm parts.

In its preferred form, and as applied to a pistol or revolver, such athumb grip may be made integral with the cheek or side plate on thehandle or grip, such thumb grip projecting upwardly and outwardlytherefrom to a point where the thumb may overlay and grip it. In amodified form, such projection may be made as a separate part andapplied to the check or side plate in any desired manner.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a side view of a revolver to which the thumbgrip of my invention has been applied,

; showing its manner of use.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the gun of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view showing a modified form of thumb piece.

Referring now with particularity to the drawing, a gun is showngenerally at 1 having a portion 2 adapted to receive cheek or sideplates, of which one is shown at 3, to accommodate the hand of the userin a comfortable manner, that is, the shape and dimensions of such sideplates are designed to fit and accommodate the users hand in grippingthe same. Ordinarily in arms of this type, the two side plates aresubstantial duplicates of each other, and held to the metal portion 2 ofthe arm as by means of screws 4.

As applying the device of this invention to such an arm, I havepreferably supplied a special cheek plate to the thumb side of thehandle, such cheek plate having a portion 5 which serves as the basethereof, with a thumb grip 6 projecting outwardly and upwardlytherefrom. The base or portion 5 of this special cheek plate isperforated in the same manner as is the cheek or side plate 3 to receivethe usual fastening means 4.

The shape of the projection or thumb grip 6 is such as to enable thethumb of the user to overlie the top thereof and project downwardlyover.

the upper front corner thereof, which upper front corner is indicatedgenerally at 7. In this manner the end of the thumb actually hooks overthe front of the projection 6 at the point 7 and assists materially insteadying the gun during aiming and firing. Obviously the upper cornersof the projection 6 may be rounded to permit the thumb to grip the samewith the least amount of discomfort and such surfaces may be roughenedor knurled to insure adequate gripping effect.

In many arms of this type if the cheek plate on the thumb side of thehandle were extended upwardly and in close proximity to the arm itself,other mechanisms of the arm would be interfered with, such for instanceas the break open latch 8. By spacing the thumb grip 6 away from theframe of the arm at this point, this latch is not interfer-ed with andhence the other operations of the gun are as efficient as before.

While in the preferred form of the invention the thumb grip 6 has beenshown as being integral with the base 5, which latter part forms a cheekor side plate for the handle, yet obviously I do not wish to be limitedthereto as the thumb grip may be a separate part attached either to theusual cheek plate or to the handle frame 2 as a separate element.

While the invention has been shown as applied to a revolver, yet it isto be understood that the invention will be of material assistance whenapplied to pistols, tear gas guns, or in fact any weapon which must beaimed, and which is gripped by the hand of the user in aiming. Such aprojection adds materially to the stability of the gun and overcomes anytendency to wobble during aiming and firing.

It will, of course, be obvious that while in the preferred form theprojection 6 is of such size and so located that the thumb will actuallyextend beyond the same, and the projection will be gripped thereby, yetthe use of such a device is of real benefit even where the projection isused only as a thumb rest.

I claim:

An attachment for use on the stock of a pistol consisting of anoutwardly extending stock engaging portion and an upwardly extendingportion forming a grip for the thumb of the user, said latter portionhaving its upper front and rear corners rounded and being of a size tobe gripped between the thumb joints of the user so as to entirely liewithin the curve of the users thumb when flexed.

ELLIOTT JONES.

